Sealed can



June 2, 1931. SEBELL 1,808,321

SEALED CAN Filed June 4. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l 13-" -|nv enTor.

Harry Se heal I MMIIM June 2, 1931. 'SEBELL 1,808,321

' SEALED CAN Filed June 4. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lnvenTor.

Hurry Sebell .bymgm tkw Patented June 2, 1931 v UNITED STATES PATENT"OF'Fl iCE HARRY snBELL, or BOSTON, MassAoirU's'nTrs, ASSIGNOR T ARTHUR.Pawn, or

LEXINGTON, mnssaonusmms SEALED only Application fil d, J 29. Serial No.368,247.

This invention relates to cans such as are used for packaging paint foodand other materials and particularly to cans which are provided with aremovablecover.

One object of the invention is to provide a novel construction by whichthe, removal of the cover may be facilitated when the can is to beopened;

In the can embodying my invention the can body has anoutwardly-extending flange which mates another outwardly-extendingflange formed onthe can cover.

One of said flanges is a multi-ply flange with portions thereof having areduced numher. of plies on the face thereof adjacent the other flangewhereby pockets are formed be? tween the flanges into which an implementmay be inserted to. pry the flanges apart.

1n order to give 'an'understanding of the invention I have illustratedin the drawings some selected, Embodiments thereof which will now bedescribed after which the novel features will be pointed out in theappended claims.

Fig. 1 is a side view of a can embodying my invention;

'Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectiOI al view onthe line 22, Fig. 1; a

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional line 33, Fig. 1;

Fig.4: is a fragmentary plan view of a por-v tion of the cover showing astep in the process of making it;

Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the cover completed;

Fig. 6 is a sectionon the line 6..6,-Fig. 4; said figure showing indotted lines how the thickened portion of the flange is formed;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view illustrating a can cover having a slightlydifi'erent construction from that shown in Figs. 1 to 5 and in oneformative stage;

Fig. 8 is a section on the line 8-8, Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a section on the line 9-9, Fig. 7 but showing one of thefingers or extensions of the cover rolled up;

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary sectional view through a closed can having thecover contruction shown in Figs, 7, 8 and 9;

View on the Fig..11 is a view illustrating the manner in i which thecover may be'pried loose;

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary sectional view through one side of the canbody.

In the drawings 1 indicates a can body and 2 indicates a removablecover'by which the, can body is closed or sealed. The eanbod-y and. cancover are each provided with out? wardly-extending flanges which flangesmate each other when the cover is in closing relation. 1f the can is tobe sealed the sealing may be accomplished in any manner common: 1yemploy d f r making a tight join betwe n the cover and the can body.

T fl g n the can body i 'ind oa ed at 3 d in. the par i ular embodim nth rei-i s own said flange projects outwardly from t e an bodyand i o dat a di a e be low the upper edge t'ofthe body so that they mbody-has anupstan ing por i n eeted above the flange c a J I he pres n mbodim nt ftheinven: tion the cover 2 is shown as having adepend,

ing. skirt portion 6 which'embraces the upper p i n 5 f the can body ndaid can ver a he on w dly=ex ending flange .7 located at. thelowerend ofthe skirt 6,, which; flange: 7 mates: the flange, 3.v Y

As stated above one of. the

fe tures of the present invention relatesto a'novel construe.

tion y which the mati g fl nge fi and; .7' formed with pockets. adaptedto receive a screwdriver or other similar implement foe the pu p se oprying t e flang s when the can is. to'be openech 1 v 7 These pock sre-fo ed by mak goertain. porti ns o o e. of the anges thicke t n o he pr ions. h reof so-t e hen t e fla ges e in sea i g la pockets will b frm d a he thinner por ons of the fla g T ho e t icken nd th nh h-p rtine may be formed on either" flang without departing f om t nvention hut.l-v illpref orably f -rin them oh'th flange o the o er- The draingsvshow t o-Ways in whi h th s y e d ne. In the, oen trnetionshownrin' Eigelflt 6 nc u i the co er .2 made init ally- 1th tw =Plyontwardly en jend ng flange 7- at th l wer: edge th ssk rt portion .6 asllustr ted in li gi'athisitwoplyi so i made will present two-plyportions 11 of the full widthand other four-ply portions 12 of lesswidth than the portions 11 but of extra thickness due to the foldingover of the portions of the flange. The completed cover thus has anoutwardly-extending flange which is providedwith portions 11. which arethinner than the portions 12 and the extra thickness of the portions 12is located on the underside of the flange. When the cover thus made'isapplied to the can the thicker portions 12 will rest on the flange 3ofthe can body While the "thinner portions 11 of the flange 7 will bespaced from the flange 3 of the can body thereby providing pockets 13. 4When the can is to be opened a screw driver or other implement it may beinserted into one of the pockets 13 and then manipulated topry theflanges apart. If the can is hermetically sealed, as is done in the caseof cans which contain canned food there will exist a considerable vacuumin the can which it is necessary to break in order to remove the cancover. By providing the pockets 13 adapted to'receive a screwdriver orother implement the operation of loosening the cover and breaking thevacuum is greatly facilitated and can be easily accomplished by anyone.InFigs. 7 to 12 I have shown a different embodiment: of the invention.In this embodiment the flange of the can cover has a uniform widthalltheiway around but is nevertheless provided with thickerand thinnerportions. A can cover having this construction may be made from a blanksuch as shown in Fig. 7 which illustrates a sheet of material which hasbeen struck up into the form of the cover with the depending skirtportion '6 and with "the flange 15 extending laterally therefrom; saidflange being formed initially with'a plurality of fingers or extensions16. These fingers or extensions are rolled or folded up underneath theflange 15 as shown at 17 in Fig. 9 and after this rolling or curlingprocess therolled portion 17 is preferably flattened as; shown in Fig.10. The cover thus made will have a flange 15 of uniform width but withthicker multi-ply portions 17 which are formed from the rolled up orfolded fingers 16 and thinner portions having a reduced number of pliesbetween the thickened portions 17. In the places or portions where theyare fewer,the reduction in the number of plies is on the face of theflange which is directed toward the other flange so that pockets will beformed between the flanges where the plies are omitted.

When a cover having this construction is placed on the can the thickenedportions 17 of the cover will rest on the flange 3 of the can body andpockets 13 will existbetween the flange 3 on the can body and the thinportion of the flange 15 on the can cover. In this construction theflange 15 is of uniform width. 5 y

In order to facilitate the removal of the cover after it has beenloosened I will preferably provide said cover with a peripheral beadadjacentits top. This bead may be formed either by deforming orupsettingthe metal of the cover as shown at 18 in Fig. 9 ormay' be formed byplacing a wire 19 around the cover and soldering it thereto. In eithercase the cover is provided with an annularbead which forms a finger holdto enable a person to firmly grasp the cover and pull 'it off from theupstanding portion 5 of the can body. I

'Whi1e I have'illustrated herein some selected embodiments of myinvention I do not wish to belimited' to the constructional featuresshown as there'are other ways in which the invention might be'embodied.

I claim;

p 1. A can comprising a can body having an outwardly-directed flange, acan cover having a mating flange, oneof said flanges being a multi-plyflange and having at certain portions thereof fewer portions than atother portions, the reduction in the number of pliesbeing on thefaice'ofsaid flange adjacent the other flange whereby pockets are formed betweenthe flanges for'the reception of an implement to be used to pry theflanges I apart. I

H 2. can presenting a can body having an outwardly-directed"flange, acan cover having a multi-ply flange mating that of the can body, theflange of the can cover having portions which have a reduced number ofplies with the remaining plies atsuch portions spaced from' the flangeon thecan body, whereby pockets are formed between-the flangesinto'which an implement may be inserted to pry said flanges apart whenthe can is to beopened. 'T x In testimony whereof, I have signed my nameto thisspecification. HARRY SEBELL.

